as startled out of these reflections by a remark from Desmond.

'You know, Pam, you ought to get married soon.'

The boy spoke shyly--but gravely and decidedly. Pam thought with a
sudden anguish--'He would never have said that, unless--'

She laid her head on his shoulder, clinging to him.

'I shan't get married, old boy.'

'Oh, that's nonsense! Look here, Pam--you mustn't mind my poking
my nose into things where I've no business. You see, it's
because--Well, I've sometimes thought--punch my head, if you
like!--that you had a fancy for Arthur Chicksands.'

Pamela laughed.

'Well, as he hasn't got any fancy for me, you needn't take that into
your dear old head!'

'Why, he was always very fond of you, Pam.'

'Oh, yes, he liked ragging me when I was a child. I'm not good
enough for him now.'

'What do you mean--not good enough?'

'Not clever enough, you silly old boy. He'll marry somebody much
older than me.'

Desmond ruminated.

'He seemed to be getting on with Broomie this afternoon?'

'Magnificently. He always does. She's his sort. She writes to him.'

'Oh, does she?' The boy's voice was dry and hostile. He began to
understand, or thought he did. Miss Bremerton was not only plotting
to marry his father--had perhaps been plotting for it from the
beginning--but was besides playing an unfair game with Pam--spoiling
Pam's chances--cutting in where she wasn't wanted--grabbing, in
fact. Anger was mounting in him. Why should his father be mopped up
like this?--and Pamela made unhappy?

'I'd jolly well like to stop it all!' he said, under his breath.

'Stop what? You dear, foolish old man! You can't stop it, Dezzy.'

'Well, if she'll only make him happy--!'

'Oh, she'll be quite decent to him,' said Pamela, with a shrug, 'but
she'll despise him!'

'What the deuce do you mean, Pam?'

Whereupon, quite conscious that she was obeying an evil and feverish
impulse, but unable to control it, Pamela went into a long and
passionate justification of what she had said. A number of small
incidents--trifling acts and sayings of Elizabeth's--misinterpreted
and twisted by the girl's jealous pain, were poured into Desmond's
ears.

'All the servants know that she treats father like a baby. She and
Forest manage him in little things--in the house--just as she runs
the estate. For instance, she does just what she likes with the
fruit and the flowers--'

'Why, _you_ ought to do all that, Pam!'

'I tried when I came